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Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver split

Confirmation of the separation comes soon after their 25th anniversary

The announcement did not mention a divorce

The couple share four children, ages 14 to 21

"Dr. Drew" looks at stress in marriage, with an eye on the separation of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on HLN.

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced Monday that they are "amicably separating," but there was no mention of divorce in their joint statement.

Confirmation of their split came just two weeks after the 25th anniversary of their marriage and four months after Schwarzenegger left the California governor's office.

"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," their statement said. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together."

The statement did not reveal when the separation began, but Shriver, 55, was not wearing her wedding band in a video posted on YouTube two weeks ago.

"At this time, we are living apart, while we work on the future of our relationship," they said.

The marriage of Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilder-turned-actor, and Shriver, the niece of President John F. Kennedy, was considered an unlikely union, especially considering Shriver's deep Democratic roots and Schwarzenegger's Republican leanings.

They became one of America's most famous couples. He was one of Hollywood's highest paid actors and she was a network news anchor. They both gave up those careers when he was elected governor of California in 2003, a job he held until this past January.

Schwarzenegger, 63, has been busy in recent months reviving his acting career, signing movies deals -- including another installment of his "Terminator" series.

The couple's children are ages 14, 18, 20 and 21.

"We are continuing to parent our four children together," they said. "They are the light and the center of both of our lives."